Editor’s note: Welcome to the slightly revamped Rivalry Roundup! The American League is a bit of a muddled mess right now, even by April standards, so we’re taking a slightly different approach until the picture gets at least a little more clear. We polled the Rivarly Roundup writers to determine two teams who would get our closest focus and landed (for now) on Boston and Toronto. We will additionally have more abridged coverage—again, for now—of the Tigers, Guardians, Orioles, Rays, Mariners, Astros,
and Rangers in “Other Teams.” There is sure to be some overlap in matchups; we just want to make sure we’re covering our bases. Thanks!
With the Yankees off Monday before heading to Boston, it was a great day to hate cheer against our enemies. The day got off to a shoddy start, with Boston defeating Detroit in the annual Boston Marathon morning game. Monday night, unfortunately, the Jays and Orioles followed suit with wins of their own.
The Rays at least had the decency to lose. As did the Mariners, who are off to a brutal start. Houston unfortunately won. I’m sure I’m not the only Yankees fan wondering how far that ship can sink.
Boston Red Sox (9-13) 8, Detroit Tigers (12-11) 6
It’s been rough times in Boston to start the season… you just hate to see it. After the BoSox jumped out to a 2-0 lead early, the Tigers chipped away, taking the lead in the top of the sixth and giving hope, for a brief moment, that they could hang another early season loss on the Red Sox.
Alas, Roman Anthony knotted the game back up at three in the home sixth and then Boston took over in the seventh. With the bases loaded and one out, Ceddaanne Rafaela came to the dish. His single down the right field line scored two, though former Yankee farmhand Caleb Durbin was out at the dish. Rafaela later came around to score the Sox’s sixth run. In the bottom of the eighth, former Yankee Isiah Kiner-Falefa added a two-run single of his own to make it 8-3 and put Boston on the verge of a laugher.
Needing three outs and up five, the Sox left Ryan Watson in to try and close the game out. They chose… poorly. With runners on second and third and one out, former Yankee Gleyber Torres singled in a fourth run, prompting Boston to bring closer and former Yankee (bit of a theme in this one) Aroldis Chapman in. Riley Greene doubled in two more runs to bring Detroit to within two and bring the tying run to the plate but Chapman got Dillon Dingler to ground out to end it. I’m sure Boston would have prefered to not bring Chapman in but on a day where they went through seven relievers while the Yankees relaxed before heading to Fenway, it seems par for the course.
Toronto Blue Jays (9-13) 5, Los Angeles Angels (11-13) 2
The Jays have been off to a miserable start, much like Boston. You also hate to see it. Monday night, however, they played the Angels pretty tough. Unlike the Yankees, they managed to keep Mike bleeping Trout in the yard. Lo and behold, that helped keep the Angels from racking up runs.
On the mound, offseason addition Dylan Cease was in his bag. The righty tossed five innings of two-run ball, whiffing 12 Angels hitters. Tough to score when you’re striking out constantly. The downside though, is Cease could only go five, with a pitch count at 110.
At the dish, franchise player Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. supplied the heroics. With Toronto down one early, Vladito clubbed a two-run bomb, one of three hits on the day. The Angels tied the game but the Jays managed single runs in the sixth and seventh to extend their lead to 4-2. They added a fifth run in the top of the ninth and held on for the 5-2 win.
Other Games
Houston Astros (9-15) 9, Cleveland Guardians (13-11) 2
The Astros have been a hot mess early this season but thanks to a bevy of long balls, they took down Cleveland Monday night. Christian Walker, who was abysmal in the first half of 2025 for the Astros but markedly improved down the stretch, has come out of the gates strongly in 2026 and tonight was no exception. Walker punctuated his three-hit night with a two-run home run. The Astros’ hero of the day, however, was Isaac Paredes. The former Ray mashed two round-trippers of his own as Houston ran away with this one.
Tampa Bay Rays (12-10) 1, Cincinnati Reds (15-8) 6
This one was never all that close. The Rays managed a first inning run. But they were already down two when they did. From there, Cincinnati kept adding on. The big blow for the Reds was Sal Stewart’s eighth homerun of the year, a two-run blast in the first that gave them a lead they never surrendered. In the top of the sixth, Rece Hinds hit a two-run double that put the Reds up 5-1 and put this one out of reach, as the Rays never came close after that.
Baltimore Orioles (11-12) 7, Kansas City Royals (7-16) 5 (12)
Man, the Royals are just awful. The Yankees swept them away at the Stadium this weekend and, even having returned home, they’re still down bad. God bless their hearts, they got out to an early lead, thanks to a Jac Caglianone solo home run in the first. And they even held onto it… until the ninth. Baltimore tied it in then, and the two teams traded runs in the 11th. In the 12th, Leody Taveras put the game away for the O’s with a grand slam, continuing Kansas City’s immiseration.
Seattle Mariners (10-14) 4, Athletics (12-11) 6
Seattle’s offense is going through it. The Big Dumper hit his third home run of the season… he finished the night with a .538 OPS. Josh Naylor had a three-hit night… .520 OPS. Julio, with his two hits, finished the night at .609. You can’t predict baseball, Suzyn.
To be fair, Seattle did jump out to a 3-0 lead, which must have felt really good, given their struggles at the dish. Alas, they gave it all back. A trio of long balls from the Athletics knotted the game at three. Then, in the eighth, a sacrifice fly and a two-run single put the A’s up 6-3 and they held on, handing the Mariners another April loss. You hate to see it.
